Príncipe - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Príncipe
Map of São Tomé and Príncipe with Príncipe near the top
Map
Geography
LocationSão Tomé and Príncipe
Coordinates1°37′N 7°24′E / 1.617°N 7.400°E / 1.617; 7.400
Area136 km2 (53 sq mi)
Highest elevation948 m (3110 ft)
Highest pointPico de Príncipe
Districts1 (Pagué)
Capital citySanto António
Demographics
DemonymPríncipean or Principean
Population5,000
Pop. density36.8/km2 (95.3/sq mi)
Additional information
Area code: 00239-19x-xxxx?

Príncipe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe. It is in the sea to the west of Africa. It has an area of 136 square kilometres (53 sq mi). Close to 5,000 people live there. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old. It is surrounded by other smaller islands including Ilheu Bom Bom, Ilhéu Caroço, Tinhosa Grande and Tinhosa Pequena. Príncipe rises in the south to 948 metres (3,110 ft) at Pico de Príncipe, in a part of the Obo National Park that is covered with trees. The north and centre of the island were formerly plantations, most of them formed by Portuguese colonialists using slave labor. These concentrated initially on producing sugar and later on cocoa, becoming the world's greatest cocoa producer.[1] Since independence these plantations have since largely gone back to being forest.

Príncipe was the site where Einstein's Theory of Relativity was experimentally proved successful by Arthur Stanley Eddington and his team during the total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919.

References

[change | change source]
  1. Pinnock, D & Pinnock, G (2012) Chocolate Island. Africa Geographic. February 2012